Lace-curtain stretcher.



mf' 'l 'rw' A. ROGALSKI.

LACE CURTAIN STRBTCHER.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.6, 1913. 1,073,290. Patented sept. 16,1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A. ROGALSKI. LACE CURTAIN STRETCHBR.

APPLIGATION rvILBD PEB. a, 1913.

witnesses Patented septf 16, 19.13.

s SHEETS-suma.

A. RoeALsKI. LAGE CURTAIN STRBTGHBR.

APPLICATION FILED PEB. 6 1913.

1,073,290. Patented Sept. 16, 1913.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

VY# ElE; y Z/ /g muemtofc witness@ W J-'f Vw a nouw n o ITED STATES ANTHONY ROGALSKI, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

LACE-CURTAIN STRETCHER.

Application -led February 6, 1913. Serial No. 746,590.

To all lwhom t may concern:

Be it known that I, ANTHONY RUGALSKI, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, .have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lace-Curtain Stretch'ers; and I do declare the 'following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains'to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in lace curtainstretchers.

One object ofthe invention is to provide a lace curtain stretcher constructed of a plurality of detachably connected sections adapted to be adjustably connected together and which are provided with improved means for quickly and easily adjusting the same to the proper size :for receiving the curtains to be stretched thereon.

Another object is to provide a curtain stretcher-of this character having an improved mea-ns for supporting the same when arranged in position for use, said supporting means being provided with rollers whereby the stretcher may loev readily moved from one place to another.

With these and other objectsin view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing; Figure 1 is a side View of my improved curtain stretcher set up in position for use; Fig. 2 is a top plan View thereof; Fig. 3 is an enlarged bottom plan view of the stretcher; Fig. 4 is a detail fragmentary sectional view through one side of the'frame taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a similar View taken on the line .5-5 of Fig. 3; Fig. 6 is a similar view taken on the line 6-'6of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is -a similar view taken on the line'7-7 of Fig. 3; Fig. 8v is a similar view taken on the line 8-8 of Fig. 3; Fig. 9 is a similar view taken on the corners of the frame by rectangular corner bloclgs 5 each of wh1ch has formed therein a guide recess or passage 6 with which the outer ends of the side bars 1 and 2 of the frame are engaged and with guide loops 7 with which the outer ends of the end bars 3 are slidably engaged. Secured to the lower sides of the corner blocks 5 are pairs of leg attaching cleats 8 which have their inner edges beveled and which are spaced apart on the block to form between themselves dove tail shaped passages 9 with which are slidably engaged dove tail shaped tenons 10 on the upper ends of supporting legs 11, said legs having bifurcated lower ends in which are revolubly mounted supporting rollers 12 whereby the frame when supported by the legs 11 may be readily moved from place to place.

The side bars 1 and 2 are each formed in two sections. The inner ends of the sections of the bar 2 are connected together by a connecting block 13 having in its upper side a dove tail shaped groove 14 in which the end of one of the sections of the side bar is rigidly secured and with which is detachably connected the adjacent or inner end of the other section of the bar 2, said end of the detachable section being recessed atits Yopposite edges to form a dove tail shaped tongue 15 which engages the dove tail shaped notch 14 in the block 13 as shown. In -the lower side of the block 13 is also formed a dove tail shaped passage 16 with which is adapted to be engaged the dovet-ail shaped tenon 10 of one of the supporting legs 11 hereinbeforeV described. The block 13 has on its under side' an inwardly extending lug 17 having a bolt hole 1S, said lug being provided to receive and support one end of the central brace bar 4 ofthe frame, said end of the har being secured to the lug 17 by a bolt 19 which is inserted through the end of the bar and through the bolt hole 18 in the lug and is secured in place by a fastening pin 20 inserted therethrough as clearly shown in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 ofthe drawings.y

One of the inner ends of the sections of the side bars 1 is provided with a curved recess 21 which is adapted to receive the' block 23, said endsV of the bars being pivotally connected to the block by pivot bolts 24 which are held in operative position by fastening pins 25 arranged therethrough as shown. On the lower side of the block 23 are arranged lugs 26 between which is formed a dove tail shaped passage 27 adapted to .receive the tenn 10 of the upper end o-f'one of the supporting legs 11 whereby, together with the supporting leg secured in the connecting block 13 of the side bar 2, the central portion of the bars arelfirmly supported.

, .In the block 23 is a transversely disposed dove Atail shaped passage 28 with which is slidably engaged the dove tail shaped end of the central bracing bar 4 of the frame. The block 23 and the pivoted inner ends of the sections of the side bar 1 of the frame are adjusted on the brace bar 4 by means of a rack bar 29 which is secured at its inner end to the inner side of the block 23 and projects outwardly beneath the outwardly extending end of the bar 4 as shown. With the teeth of the rack bar 29 is operatively engaged a gear 30 which is xed on an operating shaft 31 journaled in bearing lugs 32 arranged on the lower sidelof the cross bar 4. The shaft 31 of the gear 30 has on one end a rectangular wrench receiving head 33 whereby the gear 30 may be revolved in one direction or the other thus shifting the block 23 and inner ends of the section of the bar 1 inwardly or outwardly on the bar 4. In order to lock the block 23 and inner ends of the sections of the side bar 1 in their vadjusted positions on the brace bar 4, I provide the block 23 with a spring projected locking pawl 34 which is adapted to engage a series of teeth 35 formed on the under side of the inner portion of the bar 4 as clearly shown in Figs. 3 and 6 of the drawings. l

The corner blocks 5 are shifted lon itudinally on the outer ends of the side ars 1 and 2 to adjust the end bars 3 by means of rack bars 36 which are secured at one end to the inner ends of the blocks 5 and which project inwardly a suitable distance below the side bars 1 and 2 and adjacent tothe inner edges thereof as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Revolubly mountedin bearing lugs 37 arranged on the lower'sides of the bars 1 and 2 are adjusting gears 38 which are operatively engaged with the rack bars 36 and thereby shift the vblocks 5 inwardly or outwardly onthe vends of the side bars, thus adjusting the end bars tothedelsired position. The outer ends of the shafts of the gears 38 are extended to form rectangular wrench receiving heads 39 with which are adapted to be engaged a suitable wrench 40 whereby the same and the gear 31 for adjusting the inner ends of the sections of the side bars are operated. The blocks 5 are held in their adjusted positions on the ends of the bars. 1 and 2 by spring projected pawls 41 which are pivotally mounted on the under sides of the blocks and are adapted to engage rack teeth 42 formed in the under sides of the bars 1 and 2 as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing.

rIhre blocks 5 on one end of the end bars 3 are secured to the latter by hooks 43 pivotcd to the inner edges of the blocks and which are adapted to be engaged with eyes 44 on the lower side of the adjacent portion of the end bars as shown in Figs. 3 and 8 of the drawing. The blocks 5 on the opposite of the end bars 3 are adapted to be shifted on said bars to adjust the outer ends of the side bars 1 by means of rack bars 45 which are secured at their outer ends to heads 46 having rounded outer edges which bear against the adjacent edges of the blocks 5. The heads 46 are detachably and loosely secured to the blocks 5 by hooks 47 which are pivotally connected to theheads and are adapted to be engaged with eyes 48 `on the adjacent edges of the blocks 5 as shown. The rack bars 45 when thus arranged project inwardly beneath the end bars 3 and with said rack bars are engaged operating gears 49, said gears being revolubly mounted in suitable bearings secured to the under side of the end bars. The shafts of the gears 49 are extended on one end to provide outwardly projecting rectangular heads 50 with which the wrench 40 is adapted to be engaged for operating said gears. The blocks 5 are held in their adjusted positions on the end bars 3 by spring projected pawls 51 pivotally mounted on the head 46 and adapted to' engage rack teeth 52 on the lower` sides of the end bars 3 as clearly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The heads 4G are positively held against lateral movement on the blocks 5 by pins 53 which are engaged with sockets 54 in the adjacent edges of the blocks 5 as clearly shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings.

In the upper sides of the side and end bars of the frame are formed longitudinally disposed dove tail shaped grooves or channels 55\ with whichare slidablyengaged dove tail shaped lugs 56 on the lower members 57 of curtain gripping devices 58 the upper members 59 of which are pivotally secured to bearing lugs G() on the lower members as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing. On the inner ends of the members 57 and 59 of the gripping devices are arranged gripping jaws 60 between which the edges of the curtains are gripped and securelyfastened to the frame. The jaws 6() are heldv in closed position and in operative engagement with sides of the outerv ends of the up r memf" bers 59 as clearl shown at the rlght hand sideof Fig. 1 ofy the drawings.v Any number of the gripping devices 59 may be employed on the sides land end bars of' ,the frame and by slidably attaching said devices to the bars 1n the manner described the def,

While I vhave herein shown and describedv the invention as a curtain stretcher, it is obvious that the same may be employed as a quilting frame or for supporting and stretching anyfabric or material.

From the foregoing description taken in connection .with the accompanying 'drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be readily understood without requiring a more extended exlplanation.-

-Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the princi le or sacrificing .any of ,the advantages o the invention as claimed.v

H Having thus described my invention, 'what I claim is; v

l. A `curtain stretching frame comprising corner blocks, side and end bars havin a sliding engagement with said corner bloc s, rack bars connected with ysaidcorner blocks and adapted to project therefrom along the under sides of the lside and/end bars, rack engaging pinions revolubly supported on the under side of said side and end bars and having an operative engagement with said' rack bars whereby said side and end bars are adjusted in said corner blocks, wrench engaging heads arranged on the shafts of said pinions whereby said pinions are operf atively engaged with said racks, a series of rack teeth on the under side of said side and end bars, and springv projected pawls adapted to be engaged with said teeth wherebythe side and end bars are held in' their adjusted positions.

2; A curtain stretching frame comprising 4corner blocks, sideand end bars having a sliding adjustable engagement with said corner blocks, said side bars being formed in separable sections, a block secured tovone of thesections of one of said side bars,'said block having therein a dove tail shaped re cess, a dove tail shaped projection on the are pivotally connected toge block, said block having therein, a transversely disposedv passage, a-central bracing arranged in the adjoining end of the. companion section of said side piece whereby said sections are detachably secured together, a lug arranged on and projecting inwardly from said block, a block arranged beneathl the sections of the opposite side bar, pivot bolts arranged' in lthe ends of said sections and adapted to ensaid sections ga e with said block whereb g ther and to' the and adjusting bar secured at one end to the lug on the connecting blockof one of said side bars, and having a sliding'engagement with the passage in the connecting block of the other side bar, a rack bar secured at one end to said block and projecting outwardly beneath the free end of said bracing and adjusting bar, a pinion carried by said endof the bar Iand havin Aan operative engagement with said rack ar whereby thebracing bar is adjusted, a series of rack teeth arranged in the lower side of said bracing and adjusting bar, a sprin projected pawl carried by said block and a aptedl to engage said -teeth whereby said bracing bar 1s fastened'in its adjusted positions, and means whereby the end and side bars are adjusted in said corner blocks to increase anddiminish the size of the frame and to stretch the curtain fastened therein.

3. A curtain stretching frame comprising adjustably connected side and end bars having in their upper sides longitudinally vdislr posed dove tail shaped grooves, curtain fastening devices comprising lower membersVV having on their outer ends lower curtain gripping jaws, dove tail shaped lugs arl ranged on said .lower members and *having Va sliding engagement with the dove tail L shaped grooves in the side and end bars'of the frame, an upper grippln member pivotally connected with said ower member and having on its outer end an upper gripping jaw toV grip the edges of -the curtain rame, operating levers pivotally connected lin the outer-ends o1 the lower gripping members and adapted to be .swung upwardly into engagement with the outer ends of the upper gripping members whereby the latter arek actuated to bring the jaws thereonv into coperativeengagement with the jaws on the lower members for gripping the edges of the curtain,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- ANTHONY ROGALSKI. Witnesses:

STANISLAW RoGALsKI, ALEXANDER ZIEMCIK. Y 

